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Sold on Scott?
Scott Kazmir ((USATSI))
Scott Kazmir has been mostly encouraging, but should owners go all in? Our Nando Di Fino touches on that and other waiver wire targets to consider. Full story
Related Links:
•  FBT on Demand: Prospects Report
• Probables | Two-start SPs | Depth Charts
• 2013 Rankings: Head-to-Head | Rotisserie
• Melchior: It's time to go bargain shopping
•  Give a listen to our daily Fantasy podcast!
Experts
Scott White
Senior Fantasy Writer
 
Reality Check: Time to buy low on Kemp?
 
Follow Scott  |  Archive


Nando Di Fino
Senior Fantasy Writer
 
Waiver Wire: Crazy for Kazmir
 
Follow Nando  |  Archive



More Columns
 
Rankings
 
Projections
 
Probable Pitchers
 
Most Added Players
Player% ±
1Scott Kazmir, CLE, SP53
2Mitch Moreland, TEX, 1B37
3James Loney, TB, 1B36
4Kelly Johnson, TB, 2B31
5Heath Bell, ARI, RP29
6Francisco Liriano, PIT, SP26
7Ryan Doumit, MIN, DH21
8Jeff Locke, PIT, SP20
9Oswaldo Arcia, MIN, RF20
10Gerardo Parra, ARI, RF18
Most Dropped Players
Player% ±
1Joel Hanrahan, BOS, RP-37
2Roy Halladay, PHI, SP-16
3J.J. Putz, ARI, RP-16
4Jonathon Niese, NYM, SP-14
5Jake Westbrook, STL, SP-13
6Felix Doubront, BOS, SP-13
7Daniel Murphy, NYM, 2B-12
8A.J. Pierzynski, TEX, C-12
9Dan Straily, OAK, SP-12
10Chris Johnson, ATL, 3B-12
Average Draft Position
 
 
Player News
Neil Walker drives in two
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com
(11:33 pm ET) Pirates second baseman Neil Walker collected his first RBI since returning from the disabled list on Wednesday night against the Brewers. He plated two with a single in the sixth inning and finished 1 for 4 in the 3-1 win.

Walker is batting .256 with one homer and 10 RBI.

Ross Detwiler exits with appearent injury
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com
(11:32 pm ET) Nationals starting pitcher Ross Detwiler exited Wednesday's start after just three innings of work with an apparent injury. Detwiler was checked out by trainers after coming up short while attempting to cover first base on a potential double play.

Detwiler closed out the third inning after getting the go-ahead from the trainers but did not come back out for the fourth inning. He ended the day with two earned runs on six hits and two walks without striking out a batter.


Tony Cingrani could be odd man out
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(11:30 pm ET) Reds starting pitcher Tony Cingrani is hoping not to lose his spot in the rotation upon Johnny Cueto's return, but Wednesday was not an encouraging day.

Cingrani told reporters Tuesday that he would not be surprised if he ends up being sent back down to Triple-A, and his competitor for the final spot in the rotation seemingly made the decision much more difficult Wednesday. Mike Leake tossed six-plus scoreless innings against the Marlins, putting Cingrani at a disadvantage moving forward.

Also working against Cingrani is a bit of soreness in his throwing shoulder that has already pushed his next start back to Friday. At this point, it looks like the deck is stacked against the younger starter. A decision should come soon, and we would obviously prefer if Cingrani stayed in the rotation, given his upside.

As Scott White noted earlier Wednesday, Cingrani is worth shopping in yearly Fantasy formats, given the looming decision. His long-term Fantasy value remains very high. 


Wilson Ramos exits game with injury
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com
(11:25 pm ET) Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was removed from Wednesday night's game with an injury after singling in the fourth inning. Ramos was moving gingerly out of the batter's box after connecting with the pitch.

Ramos came off the disabled list April 29 after dealing with a hamstring injury earlier this season. He was 2 for 2 Wednesday before exiting.


Not enticed by Mike Leake's future
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(11:22 pm ET) Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake made a compelling case to remain in the rotation Wednesday, as he tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings to win his third decision of the year. Sure, it only came against the Marlins, but it should be enough to at least make the team have to think about their looming decision regarding Leake and Tony Cingrani's futures in the rotation.

From a Fantasy perspective, we have to believe Cingrani gets the team's vote, but he is dealing with a minor shoulder injury that could tip the scales in Leake's direction. Even if Leake remains in the rotation, he is just a 4.24 career ERA pitcher with middling strikeout ability, so there is not much to like about him.

Outside of NL-only Fantasy formats, I wouldn't really touch Leake. And obviously, if the team decides to go with the upside play and stick with the younger Cingrani, Leake likely wouldn't even be worth stashing. Keep an eye on this situation as it develops, and plan to part ways with Leake if the team moves away from him.


Luis Valbuena singles in return
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com
(11:21 pm ET) Cubs third baseman Luis Valbuena returned to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Rockies after missing time due to a sprained finger on his right hand. He went 1 for 4 with a single in a 6-3 win. 

Jeff Samardzija helps own cause in win
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com
(11:19 pm ET) Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija picked up his first win since opening day in Wednesday's series finale against the Rockies. He allowed two runs on five hits over eight innings of work in a 6-3 victory.

The right-hander gave up a run in the second but helped his own cause by hitting a two-run homer off Jon Garland in the bottom half of the frame. His final damage came in the form of a Reid Brignac solo home run in the sixth.

Samardzija, who threw 105 pitches, also struck out seven and walked two while lowering his ERA to 3.49.

His next start is scheduled for Wednesday against the Pirates. When Samardzija faced Pittsburgh on April 1, he worked eight scoreless innings in a win.

Dayan Viciedo heating up
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(11:13 pm ET) White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo has been on fire since returning from his strained oblique, and Fantasy owners are starting to take notice. Viciedo ended Wednesday's action as one of the most-viewed players in CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues, after hitting his second home run in as many games.

Viciedo is hitting .444 with two home runs, six RBI and as many walks (five) as strikeouts since coming off the disabled list last Friday.

His .288 batting average is being propped up by a .341 batting average on balls in play, so something more in line with last season's .255 average is probably better to expect. If you can stomach a pretty low batting average, Viciedo has shown he can be a solid source of power. Viciedo proved this with 25-homer power a year ago, so I would expect him to be owned in more than his current 46 percent of leagues in the coming days. 


Jon Garland surrenders two homers
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com
(11:12 pm ET) Rockies starter Jon Garland lasted fewer than six frames for the third straight outing on Wednesday night against the Cubs. He allowed three runs on seven hits over five innings of work in a 6-3 loss.

Garland surrendered a solo home run to David DeJesus in the first before his counterpart -- Jeff Samardzija -- launched a two-run homer off the right-hander the following frame. He cruised after that and was done after throwing 93 pitches, 58 for strikes.

The 33-year-old also struck out four and walked one while taking his fourth loss.

His next start is scheduled for Monday against the Diamondbacks. When Garland faced Arizona on April 28, he allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings in the loss.

Give up on Ryan Vogelsong
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com
(11:04 pm ET) Less than a week ago, I stood before you making a full-throated defense of Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong. I argued that I wasn't ready to give up on Vogelsong after six starts, despite a 7.20 ERA. After two more awful outings, however, I'm ready to pull the plug on the 35-year-old.

For whatever reason, Vogelsong has lost whatever it was that made him such a reliable starting pitcher in the previous two seasons. He has an 8.06 ERA in 41 1/3 innings, with 11 home runs allowed. His 1.84 WHIP is among the worst in the majors, and 45 percent of all runners who reach base eventually come around to score on him. 

Vogelsong has always gotten away with middling stuff, but with his average fastball velocity down to 89.9 miles per hour, batters are punishing him even more now. Opposing batters are making contact on 84.4 percent of his pitches, his highest total since PITCHf/x data became available. 

I still think Vogelsong is much better than what he has shown, but with rumblings about the Giants possibly considering pulling him from the rotation, Fantasy owners simply cannot rely on him right now. In a deeper format, I might still try to stash Vogelsong to see if he finds the form that helped him to a 3.05 ERA in 2011 and 2012. But I wouldn't hold onto him too tightly if I needed the roster spot. 


 
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Fan Poll

Which of these early-round disappointments would you rather own for the remainder of 2013?

Matt Kemp
54%
Josh Hamilton
15%
Albert Pujols
31%

Total Votes: 555

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